Of Petals and Fire
by cxvxs
Summary: It's a strange world we live in… Those were Marluxia's thoughts as was brought into the courtroom to meet his new spouse. Marluxia and Axel are forced to marry. Axel is against it, Marly could care less, and throw in Axel's kid, Sora, in the middle and you have a recipe for disaster. Mild slash for now. Rated T for language. Dual Perception.
1. New Lives are for Suckers Part 1

New Lives Are For Suckers

* * *

The year is 2132 and single-parent households were just outlawed seven months prior. Not that Axel gave a damn. He wasn't about to subject his kid to some fucked-up nutjob. The kid had it bad enough with _him_ as a dad. He knew that. He was damn well aware of the fact that he was an asshole and selfish; spontaneous and reckless. He was so not cut out to be "good father of the year" and he'd never get an award for his parenting skills. What the hell was _he_ supposed to know about parenting, anyway? His loser mom took off with the family _dentist_ when he was ten, how pathetic was that, and hewas left behind with his violent, abusive deadbeat dad. His drinking went out of control and without his usual punching bag to take it out on, he'd found another avenue. He swore after his mom left he would never have kids. He didn't want to subject them to such a miserable life. He'd been doing a pretty good job at preventing it before his _son_ was dropped into his life.

It wasn't as if he hadn't tried to avoid it. This was the last thing he wanted, to be a parent. Heck, at first, if there'd been anyone else he could have shucked the responsibility off on, he would have done it in a heartbeat. That was before he held his kid, watched him grow, and actually begun doing a decent job taking care of him. Glaring at the long ass line that he'd been shoved into, Axel fought the need to go down memory lane. He was above that. He didn't do _fond memories_ and crap like that. It wasn't his style and this blip on the map wasn't going to change anything. It would still be him and Sora when everything was said and done. No one was going to be shoving some random stranger into their lives. There had to be a way around this, a loop hole, and he was gawddamn going to find it. Couldn't this count as child endangerment or some shit like that? There had to be a way out. There just had to be.

The line inched forward, tired parents trying to shush crying children and keep them entertained. What were they thinking, anyway? They shouldn't be subjecting kids to this kind of madness. The government was insane. He hadn't been the only one to try to avoid getting help, of course. There had been others but their cries of protest and outrage had been drown out by the gratitude and relief of the others. He was one of the minority but when the hell wasn't he? He shifted, pushing the sleeping kid in his arms up higher. He watched a world-weary looking mom hand her kid off and enter the courtroom. He grits his teeth but he knew that expression. He's seen a dozens, hundreds of times at the other support groups for single parents. It's the look of someone who had given on trying to fight, who's ready to lay down and accept whatever the world threw at them. He understood her feelings but damn it, he didn't agree with them. _He_ wasn't about to just _hand off his kid_ to some stranger and take whatever the government threw at him. He'd fight tooth and nail against the system, alone if he had to.

That's what parents _did_, that's what they were _supposed to do_ for their kids! The line inched forward a little more and he couldn't fight the memories sweeping over him. That's what _she'd_ taught him. He'd been a total player. He never cheated, although several times he came close to straying. Whatever his previous lovers might have thought, he had never cheated. Nor did he go under the age limit. He was fond of high school kids and college kids, but more because he shared their same mentality than out of attraction. Come on, that was just _gross_. He didn't want to bang some not even legal chit. He only did it with rich, older women who could afford to shower him with expensive gifts. He wasn't interested in the little college girls with the trust funds that _daddy_ gifted them. They were more likely to get too clingy in six months and the blame _him_ for their money problems. That wasn't his style. He also made sure he always used protection and anyway, most of his lovers were on the pill or something anyway. The last thing he wanted was a bratty kid he had to pay child support toward. He knew better than the women; he wasn't marriage material. He wasn't the _settling down_ type. That just wasn't him.

Claire, though. Claire challenged all his preconceived conceptions about the world and especially about himself. Meeting her had been a mistake, chance at best. That's what he told her but she said it was _destiny_. She always did believe in crap like that. Figures. That night, he'd been at the club, fishing for a new sugar mama. It wasn't that he didn't have a job, he did. He simply liked being pampered better than using all his money to pay the bills. He wasn't the good guy, but that night, he didn't mind stepping in to take out an even bigger monster than himself. Because Claire, Claire drew him in from the start. Big, crystal blue eyes and slightly spiky long brown hair. Sora inherited her looks, thankfully, and her temperament. His hair was much more spiky, something that made the kid look adorable at times, but he had her eyes… Her eyes when they first met had been nervous and she'd been slightly jumpy. Axel recognized his mom in her and he'd kept his eye on her and her scumbag boyfriend the rest of the night. He was more of a Black King than a White Knight but he didn't mind coming to her rescue when that abusive drunk raised his hand to her.

It should have ended with him taking her home and dropping her off that night. He'd only felt a little guilty when she invited him and then offered to let him spend the night in her plush apartment. Murmuring drew him out of his daydreaming long enough to look up. The mother had come out and was trying to tug along her unruly boy to the opposite exit. What seemed to surprise most people, and made his brows furrow, was her partner was a _woman_. With gay marriages legalized, although gay divorce still eluded such couples, it wasn't exactly a shocking or uncommon phenomenon. Still, none of them had expected such an occurrence to happen _here_. The mother didn't seem to mind, though, he observed as he watched their progress out. Her new wife touched her arm and murmured something. The mother gave her a grateful look and the new woman tried to pick up the boy. Thankfully, he gave her less of a fight, but it seemed more likely it was because he was nervous about her. Man, that was a hot picture though. Two moms? Lucky kid.

The next one to go was a single dad. He almost shoved his ten year old daughter at the social worker or who ever the hell that person was. Axel growled low in this throat and glared in the direction of the disappearing back. _Asshole_. How could he treat his kid like that? He was probably just a deadbeat, good for nothing not fit to be a parent. He'd drag some girl from the courtroom into the kid's life and if they were lucky, the new "mom" of the family wouldn't be abusive. Not that it mattered; child abuse was so common nowadays it wasn't even reported as a crime unless something major was done or it was done in public. His grip tightened as his outrage grew. The sleeping boy gave a little whimper and he immediately relaxed, tamping down the growing rage. Not yet. He couldn't let his temper flare yet. He would wait until he got into the courtroom. He brushed aside the memories as well. He didn't need anything to dull the edge of his anger and Claire always brought out the best in him. Even now, after being gone four years.

He didn't remember how he managed to survive standing in that line for the next half hour. All he knew was that every single parent he watched walk into the courtroom seemed like a looser. Twice, they stopped the procession of parents to let the singles hand-picked by the system to go in. He barely suppressed a groan when he stepped up behind some woman and a new line of idiots was paraded through. She handed off her kid and went inside the courtroom. Just as the stranglers were going past, he broke out into an angry, hushed argument with the social worker. "No, I'm not going to just hand my son over to you, lady! Are you nuts? If he wakes up and I'm gone, he's going to freak! I'm not subjecting my son to that just because you're uncomfortable with the setting. Trust me, both of us have been twice as uncomfortable and we've been here for almost three hours!" He noticed a pink haired man glance their way, looking vaguely emotional. Was that concern? Or curiosity? He stepped out of line, glancing at the sleeping child and then the social worker. Obviously, he felt he should say something on the matter but the guard was looking at him as if he was trouble. Axel just waved him off with an equally vague gesture of _'it's alright'_ before returning his attention back to the social worker. "Fine. Here's the deal. You stand _right here_ with my son. He wakes up and freaks out, you let him come in to me, courts be damned. Capiche?" He glared at her but her response was adequate enough that he finally let the matter go. With extra care, he let her take Sora from him, making sure she was minding him properly. That taken care of, he squared his shoulders and stormed into the courtroom.

* * *

Ten minutes later, he could tell the judge was really beginning to hate him. He'd vetoed every option he'd been given, his temper riling the longer he stood here. He'd hoped he could just say _'no'_ to it all and be let go but it could never be that simple.

"Then what is it you want, Mr. Cambion?" The judge snapped.

Axel's temper flared an all-time high and the rant he spewed forth would have made his sister proud. "What do I want? _What do I want?_ I want you to end this gawddamn farce! Get the fuck off your high horses, all of you! What do you know about raising _my_ kid? He's my son! You expect me to just waltz in here, go _thank you very much_ for fucking up both our lives, and let you do whatever you damn well please? Hell no! You can't just expect me to accept some _stranger_ around my kid without me knowing the particulars about them!"

"Mr. Cambion, we did a very through background check on all the applicants—"

"And what the hell does that matter? So they didn't get caught! You could be sticking me with a violent drunk, a drug addict, a weed enthusiast, a smart pedophile, _anyone_, and it's supposed to be alright because you did a _background check?_ News flash, lady. People lie! They lie on their taxes, they lie about their coffee, they lie about how they feel about kids!" He could see that he was making the singles uncomfortable. Well good. He didn't want to marry any of them anyway, so that worked out just perfectly for him. He did notice the pink haired man again though. He seemed on the verge of laughter. Was this funny to him? This was his kid's safety he was thinking about here! He decided to ignore him and continued to hammer his point in.

"Half these people don't want to be here any more than I do! And I can guarantee that none of them want to be stuck spending the rest of their life _with_ me."

"Amen to that." The judge drawled but he ignored her. She looked like a fifties something bitch who had had a permanent stick up her ass since the last president took office.

"There you go! None of these people are happy about this. I'm not happy about this. _You're _not happy about this. Why don't you let me go on my merry way and be done with all this? No matter what you say, I'm not going to let some stranger wreck my son's life."

"That's the point, Mr. Cambion. This is about _improving_ your son's life. He obviously needs positive influences in his life," and from the look the judge was giving him, she was convinced he wasn't one of them. She could go screw herself for all he cared. "We intend to give him some, whether you feel he needs them or not. You can't walk away from here without some sort of partnership being formed."

"Why the hell not? I've got rights! My kid's got rights! You are abusing our Constitutional rights not to mention probably endangering my kid—" He was really getting into his rant when he froze, hearing a small wail come from the other side of the door. All his muscles locked in place and for a moment, the veins in his neck bulged. There was a guard on either side of him, to keep him in place for the hearing and probably stop him from attacking the judge. Right now, it was only their presence that stopped him from making a total fool of himself by trying to jump over every obstacle in the room. He whirled around, about to demand to be let go, when the courtroom door cracked open. A crying little boy ran in being chased by the matronly and very much despised right now, social worker. Axel shoved the guards off him, ready to jump the gate separating him from everyone else but Sora was already climbing it.

He picked up his son before he could get himself hurt and gave him a little hug, murmuring quick and quiet words in his ear. The pink haired man got out of line and waved off the guards, making their way to them. Axel didn't know if it was out of concern, focusing solely on Sora. He was close enough that he could probably hear what he was saying, which sounded stupid no doubt, but it worked. Sora seemed to calm down, tucking his head under Axel's chin when he was done and wrapping shaky arms around his neck. He glared at the social worker, who held out her arms expectantly, like it was somehow obvious he'd hand over the child now that he'd finally calmed him down. He turned around and marched back to the table, glaring daggers at anyone who came close. He wasn't going to let them take his son from him. He didn't notice the pink haired man talking quietly to the lady with a honey sweet smile, or how nervous she suddenly looked as she backed up and headed for the door.

His attention was solely on the judge, waiting for the verdict. She looked bored before finally heaving a breath of contempt. "Are there any volunteers?"

His head jerked back. "Volunteers?" He ground out. What was he, some lottery prize? No way in hell.

_"What's going on?"_ Sora asked in a hushed voice.

Axel gentled his tone, stroking his son's back. _"We're picking out a new mommy for you today. Remember? We talked about this."_

_"You said it would happen over your dead body."_

Axel winced and shook his head a little. _"Well, I was wrong. It looks like it's happening today."_ Despite all his efforts to stop it.

Sora peeked over his shoulder to look shyly at all the potential mothers. None of them looked motherly, he whispered to Axel and he silently agreed when he turned to view them. None of them looked eager to marry him either. He regarded all of the singles with Sora, making soft comments on all of them as the seconds turned into minutes. The pink haired man grinned when they got to him and gave Sora a little wave. He gave a hesitant grin back, then a wider one and waved. That drew a few smiles. Axel's expression softened with love and he gave the man a heartfelt nod.

At that moment, two simultaneous things happened. The judge began to speak, saying, "Well, if there are no volunteers then someone will have to be chosen through lots." At the same time, the pink haired man stepped forward, ignoring her speech and the guards. "I volunteer." He spoke up, a slight melody to his masculine baritone. The judge blinked at him as if she thought she were hallucinating. Axel couldn't blame her. He was pretty sure he was as well.

In the middle of the silent spell that followed, Sora announced in a clear voice, "He doesn't look much like a mama."

Axel felt something in him crack and he gave a strangled laugh as the first bit of his control over his life slipped away before his very eyes. "No. He doesn't look like a mama, Sora. Not at all."


	2. New Lives are for Suckers Part 2

Marluxia Somerset was an assumed name. He'd gone through a lot of trouble to get a fake identity that could hold up to scrutiny from the American government. That he was actually from abroad was one of the many kept secrets Marluxia held. Still, he hadn't expected the government to call upon him to do his civic duty. Apparently, that meant marrying some single mom and helping her raise her bratty children. He liked children well enough but being forced into a marriage of convenience instead of a match of love was against his principals. There was no way out of it though and it would be the perfect cover. The men looking for him would never find him this way. Lexaeus, Xaldin, Xigbar… He'd never see them again, they wouldn't interfere with his life. No, he would be free and it would all be thanks to the government. It hadn't even been his idea, which was the most brilliant part of this scheme. After two hours of waiting, though, he was beginning to wish that his cover hadn't been so good. Or at least that they'd added some flaws in. Finally, it was his turn and he made his way through the procession, towards the end of the line. There was a pretty, but bored looking woman with a son and a daughter in the front of the line. He could tell right away she was as self-involved as they get as she barely spared a glance for the children she'd handed off. He'd watched through tinted glass as half a dozen other parents do the same thing. What surprised him was the striking man with red hair's reaction to the idea of handing off his son. He missed the first part but the rest of the angry whisper he heard loud and clear.

_"…nuts? If he wakes up and I'm gone, he's going to freak! I'm not subjecting my son to that just because you're uncomfortable with the setting. Trust me, both of us have been twice as uncomfortable and we've been here for almost three hours!"_ He made a good point and Marluxia felt compelled to help him. He should at least be allowed to plead his case on his son's behalf. The man's eyes flickered to him, a shocking and vivid green, before he gave him a dismissive gesture. He felt a spark of annoyance at it, which was quickly squelched by guilt as he noticed the guard making his way toward him. He had no reason to feel guilty. And besides, he was supposed to be keeping a low profile, not drawing attention to himself for a charity case.

"_It's a strange world we live in…" _Those were Marluxia's thoughts as was brought into the courtroom to meet his new spouse. The first women to enter the courtroom was exactly how he thought her to be and vain to boot. He was glad he wouldn't end up with her. Then the man behind her stormed in and he perked slight.

He learned how wrong it was to think of the man as a charity case when he entered the room.

"State your name for the record please."

"Axel Cambion."

"Very well, we have a few preliminary questions for you, Mr. Cambion. Please answer truthfully to the best of your ability."

He gritted his teeth but Mr. Cambion nodded.

"Do you have children?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Just the one."

"Are you, or do you expect to be, expecting any more within the next six months?"

"What?"

"Are you, or do you expect to be, expecting—"

"Lady, speak in plain English. I can't understand what you're trying to get at."

"Is your girlfriend pregnant? Or is there any chance that she might become pregnant within the next six months?"

"I don't have a girlfriend." He stated in a flat tone. Marluxia noted his fist clench. Curious. He wondered absently what brought around that response.

This seemed to surprise the judge more. "Are you currently sexually active?"

"No." His voice had a steely edge to it.

"Do you have, or do you plan on keeping, a mistress after your union."

"I don't plan on a union, period."

Marluxia bit back a smirk. He liked that answer. Cheeky.

"Answer the question asked of you, Mr. Cambion."

"No. Okay? I don't have time to sleep around anymore now that I have a kid."

"Please explain the meaning of that."

"I don't think it's a good idea to have a bunch of lovers when trying to raise a kid. It'll just lead to too many questions and-"

"The part about sleeping around, Mr. Cambion. Please explain."

He slowly unclenched and then clenched his fists a few times. Marluxia got the impression that if he didn't have two guards on either side of him, he might be shaking the judge right now. "When I was younger, I used to sleep around a lot. Hell, I was known for it for a time. Hence, why I have a kid."

"Are you currently in love?"

"What the hell?"

"Mr. Cambion..."

"No! Not that it's any of your gawd damn business but I'm not!"

"Have you ever been in love?"

He didn't respond. The judge repeated the question. "Perhaps you didn't hear me, Mr. Cambion. Have you ever been in love?"

"I heard you just fine."

"Answer the question, please."

He turned fiery glare on the woman. "Whether I have or have not is irrelevant. It has nothing to do with what's going on here." His voice flowed out steadily calm but with a burning edge to it, similar to magma. Marluxia had a feeling that if he exploded, it would be fierce, like that of a volcano. He kind of wanted to see it happen.

The judge seemed to wise up to his attitude toward the line of questioning, sadly. She nodded sharply and continued on a different line.

"What is your current job?"

"Science teacher. High school."

"Who are the beneficiaries should anything happen to you?"

"Just my son." His glare hardened. "_Just_ him. I'm not changing my will. Anything happens to me, no matter what the circumstances, my son will inherit the money set aside for his college fund and my last paycheck. I'm not going to let someone get their grubby little hands on that money and waste it."

"Please answer only the questions asked of you. Do you have any relatives that can help you out?"

"No." He said it shortly, his tone clipped. He was hiding something there, Marluxia noted.

_The line of questioning continued on._

"Then what is it you want, Mr. Cambion?" The judge snapped.

That seemed to be what he was waiting for. He finally snapped, a fiery temper exploding to life. It was almost captivating to watch. "What do I want? _What do I want?_ I want you to end this gawddamn farce! Get the fuck off your high horses, all of you! What do you know about raising _my_ kid? He's my son! You expect me to just waltz in here, go _thank you very much_ for fucking up both our lives, and let you do whatever you damn well please? Hell no! You can't just expect me to accept some _stranger_ around my kid without me knowing the particulars about them!"

"Mr. Cambion, we did a very through background check on all the applicants—"

"And what the hell does that matter? So they didn't get caught! You could be sticking me with a violent drunk, a drug addict, a weed enthusiast, a smart pedophile, _anyone_, and it's supposed to be alright because you did a _background check?_ News flash, lady. People lie! They lie on their taxes, they lie about their coffee, they lie about how they feel about kids!" He chuckled, thinking he had made some very good points there. After all, his own background check revealed nothing true about him. There might be others in the room who had hidden pieces of who they were from that supposedly through check. He glanced casually at those around him, tuning out part of the rant.

"There you go! None of these people are happy about this. I'm not happy about this. _You're _not happy about this. Why don't you let me go on my merry way and be done with all this? No matter what you say, I'm not going to let some stranger wreck my son's life."

"That's the point, Mr. Cambion. This is about _improving_ your son's life. He obviously needs positive influences in his life," He glances sharply at the judge, feeling she was out of line. Who was she to judge how this man raised his child? She probably didn't even have any of her own! "We intend to give him some, whether you feel he needs them or not. You can't walk away from here without some sort of partnership being formed."

"Why the hell not? I've got rights! My kid's got rights! You are abusing our Constitutional rights not to mention probably endangering my kid-" His rant cut off prematurely, just when Marluxia had begun to root for him, when a child began to cry on the other side of the door. From his reaction, he quickly deduced that it was _this man's_ child. When the boy ran in, he wasn't surprised in the least to see him quickly make his way over to him and scoop up his son. There was a slightly panicked look to his expression, as though he was afraid something had happened to him in the short time they'd been apart. He began murmuring in the boy's ear, no doubt trying to calm him. He made his way over to them both, wanting to assess the situation up close and diffuse it before that social worker pushed him the wrong way. The words made him pause, though, catching his attention.

_"Starlight and midnight, chimes of the clock, rock a bye baby, asleep in the stock. Widow in the corner, bread maker in the den, presents for you and me, the clucking of a hen. All the silly songs, and all the whispered words, nonsense in one ear, and courage takes a turn. Remember this song my dear, it will keep you safe. Think of it and sing to me, when your heart begins to break."_ It was an odd little song, one he'd never heard before. It seemed to have the desired effect on the boy, though, who calmed and cuddle up to his dad. The father in question seemed to relax a great deal now that his son was in his arms. However, his arms tightened around the boy and he glared at the social worker, who seemed inept enough to try to request the boy be handed back to her. Couldn't she see she wasn't doing anything but upsetting the both of them? As the man stalked away, he leaned in close to speak in soft tones to the social worker, threatening her. His honey sweet smile made all watching believe he was simply telling her it was okay to go but the fear in her eyes said she understood the veiled references very well.

He glanced at the judge as he got back in line. She looked bored and stupid to him. When she breathed a sigh of contempt, he felt as though it were an ominous threat. "Are there any volunteers?"

The man didn't seem to like hearing that. Well of course not, he'd just spent the better part of twenty minutes trying to convince her to leave him alone. Still, he looked as though she'd physically hit him. And then, for some reason, he and his son began whispering back and forth. He wanted to get closer, to hear what they were saying. No doubt it would be much more interesting than the murmurings of the idiots next to him. He watched them turn to regard them, two vastly different gazes sweeping over everyone. From the way the boy was reacting, the father was making jokes about the people. Marluxia couldn't help grinning, wishing he was in on those jokes. He has a few of his own he wanted to throw in. He waved at the boy, who shyly waved back. Cute kid. None of this had changed anything in his mind though. He'd try to find some quiet looking women, not to bright, and figure out how to help out without getting directly involved with her kids. He felt bad for the dad and his son, he wanted to help them, but marrying a man was pushing it.

What changed the matter for him was what happened in the next instant. The boy brightened, smiling brighter and that struck his heart. Okay, so maybe for the boy... Then Axel Cambion's expression softened, love making it radiant for an instant as he looked at his son. He glanced up at him, gratitude and relief and just a hint of loneliness in his expression as he nodded to him. He was thanking him for that simple act, which was nothing. Anyone else should have done it. Yet no one did and this man felt the need to thank him for being kind to his son. Suddenly, he decided that if he wasn't going to marry for love and if it was going to be forced anyway, it might as well be this one.

"I volunteer." He cut off the judge and her stupid speech. She just blinked at him like an imbecile. She must be challenged in the head. Another set of eyes bored into him but he decisively kept eye contact with the judge.

When the little voice called out clear across the courtroom, he finally looked at the two. "He doesn't look much like a mama."

He watched the man curiously, expecting another fiery reaction. Instead, he laughed and his expression screwed up, as if he was afraid of loosing it. He wondered vaguely what he was thinking but it was already done. "No," The man said, ruffling the boy's hair and giving him a bleak, surprisingly angry look. "He doesn't look like a mama, Sora. Not at all." He knew then that he wouldn't be thanked for stepping up and volunteering. All the same, he didn't regret doing it and he didn't back down from the black stare.


	3. Like a Punch to the Face

Like a Punch to the Face

The marriage ceremony was brief and to the point. Quicker than he anticipated, their union was legalized and they were ushered out of the courtroom. He heard the louder murmurs, as some of the men realized there was a chance they might get hitched to another man. Clearly, none of them were happy about it. He didn't blame them; he wasn't either. He glared at the moms that were practically drooling over him and his new 'husband.' Assholes and strumpets, that's what they were, just standing there gawking as if it didn't have anything to do with them. Except, it didn't really, at least not directly. Still, he knew that the ripple effects of what were at work here would be felt by all the parents there today. The same way they had been when the first woman, not too far ahead of him, had been married to another woman. Yet he hadn't bothered protesting the vows when they had to be given. By then, he'd known there'd be no point. Luckily, no one was cruel enough to demand the pretense of love, so there was no kiss. And yet, it had been this fact, for unfathomable reasons Axel couldn't understand, that seemed to upset and disappoint Sora the most. He'd settled with a quick peck on the cheek to his new husband to please his son, something that seemed to shock the other man. Of course it would. He'd glared daggers at him throughout the whole ceremony, making no pretense that this union would be a peaceful one. But he had a soft spot for his son, he couldn't help spoiling him. He was generally that way with most kids, but especially Sora. I mean, come on. Who could blame him? The kid was adorable and so completely unlike him that he just took the spoiling in stride and somehow managed to _not_ become this spoilt brat like all the other kids.

After being escorted from the building, they were led to a cab, _so generously_ _provided for_ by the government. **_Bullocks_**, if you asked him. Complete and utter **_bullshit_**. Like that wasn't the _least_ they could do after forcing him into this. Everything about this situation was completely unfair and it would hardly say much for the day if the high point was _not_ having to pay for a cab. There was a tense silence on the ride home. Axel was pretty sure even the cabbie could feel the static charge in the air. Would definitely explain that nervous look he had. Not that he cared; it was just damn annoying to know their driver was on pins and needles. He didn't want to add a trip to the hospital because of a car accident to the list of shitty events of the day. He didn't look at his husband; Marlumia or Marlutia or something girly like that was his name. It _had_ to be something hard to pronounce and girly. He couldn't get a normal wife forced on him; he had to get an effeminate man instead. Man, his life sucked.

Yet even as he was studiously ignoring the pink haired man's existence, he was acutely aware of him by his side. He wanted to punch him in the face. He wanted to knee him in the stomach. He wanted to thank him for helping out in the court room. He wanted to apologize—_nah_, to hell with that. He didn't want to apologize. He didn't _do_ apologies. He wasn't very good at them and he had no intention of practicing to get better. It just wasn't his style and he sure as hell wasn't going to go changing everything about him just for some _man_ being thrust into his life. The cab pulled to a stop in front of the rundown apartment and Axel climbed out, carrying Sora. He'd fallen asleep again. Poor tyke, it was late, after nine and past his bed time. He turned a silent glare on the man who was climbing out of the cab after them. He politely thanked the cabbie, and offered him an extra ten for having to put up with them. Axel snorted and rolled his eyes, noting that this caused the other man's back to stiffen as he stood up straight. _Whatever_.

"It's this way," he spat out, his tone less acidic than it had been in the court room. Not because he'd mellowed but because it was harder to put as much of a bite in it when he was whispering and cradling his son. He didn't want anything to disturb his peaceful slumber with another argument. He'd practically started crying when they got into a heated whisper fight as they were leaving the court house. It was over a little nothing, his hair had been in the way and he'd been trying to flip it back without jostling the kid in his arms. He knew that the man meant well when he pulled his hair out of the way but he'd stiffened, bristling at the unwanted contact. Things were definitely going downhill fast. Then again, when this whole thing started, he'd been sure that he'd end up strangling any partner he got straddled with; there was a perverse sort of satisfaction in knowing that so far, he'd been exactly right. He saw the man eying him with a wary look. He wasn't apprehensive, but he certainly seemed to be treating the situation with a great deal of caution. Good, he'd need all the caution he could get to deal with living with Axel. He planned to make his life a living hell until he was wishing for a restraining order on top of a divorce. Because of the new law, Axel couldn't file for one himself; after all, the government had mandated this marriage. His _'husband'_ however was more than capable of filing for one and he wanted to do everything in his power to make sure he did. He didn't need help raising his son. He didn't need advice on caring for him. He knew damn well enough and he'd certainly learned quickly enough so far whenever he _didn't_ know anything.

He led the way up the stairs of the old building. They'd have to find a new apartment in the morning. Not that he was doing it for that stuck up, arrogant SOB. He'd been meaning to find a new one anyway, one closer to Sora's school and in a nicer neighborhood. The kid deserved the best and sure, it would mean he'd be doing a lot more after school tutoring and some Saturday schools to make up the difference, but it would be worth it. He found room 207 easily enough and tried to dig around for his keys in his pant pocket. He just couldn't do it and keep Sora in his arms, though. The man watched him silently for a few minutes before he held out his arms for Sora, the wariness there in his eyes, in a silent offer of help. Axel just glared at him, irritated, and shook his head. He wasn't going to hand over his son to anyone. The man finally looked miff and with an irritated sniff, _shoved_ his hand down Axel's pants and dug around until he found the keys. Now it was Axel's turn to stiffen, standing straight with all his muscles clenched down to keep himself from setting down Sora and throwing the man down the stairs. Triumphant, the man pulled out the keys and dangled them in front of Axel's face, a glint of amusement and mocking in his eyes. Axel was tempted to snatch them out of his hand, to punch the man in the face, to hurt him in any way possible but he couldn't. Damn it, he'd won this round and Axel felt his resentment growing. The man ignored his glare, although it seemed to amuse him further if that twitch in his lips was any indication, and opened the door. He held it open and ushered Axel inside, as if it were _his_ place and Axel was the guest. Axel resisted the tempting urge to both stamp on his foot and spit in his face. Stiffly, he went inside and left it to him to close up and lock the door. He could figure out the layout without him.

Despite it being dark already, Axel confidently made his way through the living room to the little back room. He kicked Sora's door open; grateful the kid never really learned the idea about closing the door to his room. He went inside, gently laying him down on the bed, and began slowly, gently, undressing him. First, off came the shirt, which he tossed at a hamper in the corner. If it didn't go in, oh well. He'd have Sora take care of the clothes in the morning. Next the pants came off, which he slipped off with ease. Sora shivered a little and his eyes cracked open, trying to figure out what's going on. "Come on, buddy. Up you go, time to get pjs on." That only got a little groan in response and the little boy snuggled into his covers, trying to get warm. With a sigh, Axel went over to the nightstand and fumbled around in the dark, looking for the Spiderman pjs he knew his son liked so much. It would probably be easier to find with the light on but he didn't want to wake up his son any more than he already had. He didn't notice the figure standing just outside the door, watching him. He lifted one pair of pjs to his face and squinted in the dark. Nope, not it. He threw them carelessly in the drawer and rifled around, repeating the process two or three times before he found the right one.

"Here you go, champ. Spiderman, your favorite." He told him in a quiet voice, urging Sora into a sitting position. The boy went along, letting him slip on arm in, then the other, and then slip the shirt over his head. "Now the pants. Come on, you can do it. There you go…" He managed to get him to do it on his own. Then he laid him back down, pulling the covers back first so he could get him warm and snug in bed. He still wasn't good at this whole _dad_ thing, even though the kid was six already, but he'd managed to get a hang of putting him to bed at least. Sora mumbled something and Axel sighed. _This again?_ "Okay, sport, I'll tell you a little story from my childhood but then, it's time to sleep." In a low voice, he told him a story about a little boy going to the park, riding on his father's shoulders as they walked around and seeing all the sights. He told him of the little boy climbing trees and getting stuck at one point. He didn't notice the figure turn and walk away in the doorway. He'd never noticed them at all. He only kept talking until he was sure Sora had fallen asleep. Then he got up, pressing a light kiss to Sora's forehead. One day, he'd have to deal with the lies he told Sora about his childhood. He had no doubt he would. He'd told Sora that his grandfather was dead, that his father died in a car crash. In reality, they'd actually passed him down the street once. Axel had picked up Sora and kept walking, even when his father paused to turn and look at him. He was glad the man never called out to him. But then again, after he disowned him, he'd never wanted anything to do with Axel again.

He walked out of the room, feeling heavy hearted. He disliked his father intensely. He loathed him. He couldn't stand the idea of being related to him. It hurt to think that Sora might ever encounter that man. With a sigh, he flopped on the couch and flung an arm over his face. He just wanted to go to sleep and have everything be a bad dream when he woke up tomorrow. "And here I thought the reason you had such a bad attitude was because you had received some sort of trauma as a child or something. In reality, you're just a spoiled brat who loved Daddy too much." The man poked fun at him, causing Axel to growl in irritation. He sat up, glaring at him. Now he was listening in on them? _What the hell?_

"Shut the fuck up! What the hell do you know?" He snapped out.

"More than you do, obviously. More than you can comprehend, probably." He retorted with a snort.

Axel gritted his teeth. "Get the hell out of my face. Go to bed or something."

He raised an eyebrow but he didn't comment on the outburst. "And where do you think I'm going to sleep?"

_Shit_. He had a point. He stood up and flipped the couch cushions on the floor. Tugging at the old mattress from under there, he opened it out into a bed. He gave it an irritated glare, glanced at Marluxia, and stomped off to the linen closet. He hadn't had any fucking clue what one was until Sora's mom had pointed it out to him but he'd found it to be immensely useful. Not that he would ever admit to being domesticated. He grabbed the haphazardly folded sheets out of the closet as well as a couple pillowcases and two old pillows. Storming back, he tossed them in the general direction of the bed. "There!" He hissed. "There's your bed! Now go to sleep, asshole!"

The pink haired man had stiffed at the appearance of the bed. His obvious, but still mild irritation grew with each passing moment it was in his presence. It wasn't as if it was disgusting. It wasn't stained or anything, as he might have expected from a bachelor father. It was just faded from use and rather _old_ looking. He didn't seem capable of believing he was expected to sleep on that concoction. Not that Axel cared. He could sleep wherever he damn well pleased, whether that was on the floor or on the bed, it didn't matter to him. Cold, blue eyes stared into angry green eyes as they stared each other down. "You can't possibly expect for me to sleep on this abomination." He announced in a clipped tone.

"You know what, pinkie? I don't expect much of _anything_ from you." Axel snapped back in a condescending tone. It was strange, hearing them start this verbal war yet again, since they were both whispering. Marluxia lunged toward him and Axel was more than ready to turn this into a fight. Then a little noise froze them both, their glares melting away instantaneously as they looked toward the boy's bedroom. It was silent for several more minutes. Axel deflated first, sighing and running a hand through his hair. He didn't notice the eyes tracking the movement, as if to determine whether it was a threat still or not. If he had, he might have been impressed. He'd know that meant that at least his new husband was taking him seriously as a threat, which was at least something he could respect. With another sigh, he moved away from the bed. "Sleep on the bed, the floor, makes no difference to me." He told him.

xxx

He didn't go straight to the bedroom, as Marluxia might have expected. Instead, he went straight to the kitchen. He was sure he was going to get something hard to drink, which only made the man raise in his disapproval and dislike. Instead, he went straight to the fridge. He looked around and grabbed a loaf of bread, some cheese slices, ham, lettuce, a tomato, and some mayonnaise. He set to work making a sandwich while Marluxia went about setting up the bed. He couldn't seem to get a good read on this man. At first, he'd thought he was hardheaded and hot-tempered man who cared only about his son. He'd expected him to be _grateful_ that someone wanted to help them. Instead, he'd seemed insulted. He was rude, crude, socially unacceptable—everything Marluxia hated in a person. He was seriously regretting ever speaking out. He glanced back at the man, who was cutting up the sandwich. What was he, a child? He understood a moment later when he moved away and grabbed a tupperware container. He put the sandwich in it, sealing it, before dropping it in an Avenger's lunch bag. Oh. He was making lunch for his son tomorrow. Right, today was Sunday. He hadn't even thought about that. He'd expected him to rush around in the early morning, freaking out and trying to remember how to make a peanut butter sandwich. A small growl snapped his attention back to his husband's face and he was surprised to find him glaring at him.

"I know perfectly God damn well how to make a peanut butter sandwich." He snapped.

_What?_ It took a moment for it to set in. Oh shit, he'd let his thoughts leak out. He hadn't done that since he was a flustered teenager. Why was he suddenly doing that now? "…How much did you hear?"

"Since 'today is Sunday' asshole." Was the tart response. He'd turned back to the lunch bag and dropped in two juice cartons. A cheese stick soon followed. He grabbed an apple and cored it, cutting it up. Placing it in a plastic baggie, it too went into the lunch bag. He double-checked it, frowning, as if he thought he forgot something. What could he have forgotten? He was a kid, he couldn't have that big of an appetite. He was a runt, like he wasn't fed enough—another growl. What the hell, again?

Axel whirled on him and Marluxia wondered why his parents named him that. "He's a growing boy. His appetite is going to be bigger than you'd expect. And he's small because that's in his genes." Obviously not from his side of the family, Marluxia observed silently. He was tall, taller than him even. It was only a few inches, not noticeable under most circumstances but Marluxia wasn't used to people being taller than him. At six feet, he generally towered above everyone. He'd gotten used to the feeling so it was strange thinking that this taller man could produce such a small child. "Did he get that from his mother?"

It was amazing, watching him. He shut down instantly. One minute, defensive anger flickered off him like a brilliant flame. The next instant, the light went out of his eyes. Even across the dimly lit room, he could tell when his bright green eyes dulled and he could see the way his face shut off completely to all emotion. He turned away, back straightening even as his head bowed. "…You don't need to know about her."

"She's Sora's mom. I should at least—" began Marluxia.

"You don't need to know about her!" His voice rose, strained with anger and another emotion Marluxia couldn't quite place beyond that it was akin to pain. He also noted that while he'd been careful until now to keep his voice down, he hadn't cared that he was only a few octaves away from shouting. This was not a subject to be lightly pursued. Well then, he'd just let it go. He looked around absently, taking in the apartment for the first time. He'd looked around for the bathroom to freshen up earlier and taken in how small the place was, but looking at the décor now… Obviously, it had a woman's touch. Had the missus in the past helped him set up this place? Not that he'll get any answers to his questions on that any time soon.

"The bathroom's around the corner, on the right. There are some leftovers in the fridge if you're hungry. I don't want to hear your bitching or moaning; you should have everything you need now." Axel muttered to him before heading to the only other bedroom. Marluxia scowled as he watched him go. It was going to be a long night then. He headed to the bathroom to change clothes and then climbed into bed, hating his husband.

* * *

A noise woke him up three hours later. Gritting his teeth in annoyance, he swung his legs over the bed and went in search of it. He checked in Sora's room first. The boy had fallen out of bed it seemed. With a sigh, he picked up the child and placed him back in bed, tucking him in. The brunette snuggled under the covers. He turned and headed back to the couch bed, only to nearly trip over his husband sleeping behind the couch. What the hell? What was he doing there? Well, he wouldn't have any of that. He marched to the bedroom, intending to grab a sheet from his bed to drag him to his bed. Except, once he opened the door, he was faced with a shocking discovery. There was no bed in this bedroom. In fact, it was a bit more cramped then Sora's bedroom and it'd been turned into an office. Then where did he normally sleep? A thought occurred to him. The couch bed, he normally slept on the couch bed. He'd given up his bed for him to sleep in and instead of being grateful, Marluxia had only complained. He walked back out to the living room and looked at the man on the floor, his face scrunched up in discomfort. He dragged him around and pulled him into bed with him. This man always seemed to circumvent his expectations.


End file.
